Three things to know: Can the Sharks keep Nashville's Filip Forsberg in check?

SAN JOSE — The Sharks faced a Toronto Maple Leafs team earlier this week that gains most of its offensive punch from its top three forward lines.

Wednesday, the Sharks host a Nashville Predators team that builds a lot of momentum from a mobile defense corps that’s as dangerous on the rush as any group in the Western Conference.

Even without the injured Ryan Ellis, the Predators’ defense corps remains a big factor with P.K. Subban, Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm combining for 19 points in 11 games to help the Predators get off to a respectable 5-4-2 start. The Sharks are 6-5 after winning three of their last four.

“Our focus and concentration was on Toronto’s forwards and trying to keep them in check. Tonight, a lot of their offense starts with their big four back there, and five when Ellis is in the lineup, ” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. “We’ve got to make sure we’re managing that making sure we’re above them and not letting them get involved and start the transition.

Advertisement

“The thing about Nashville is they’ve got a good group of forwards too. So it’s pick your poison, and that’s why they were in the finals last year.”

Here are three things to look for as the Sharks hope to improve to 2-0 on their five game homestand.

1. Keeping Filip Forsberg in check.

Forsberg is off to another solid start as he leads Nashville with eight goals and 13 points. But the Sharks, over the years, have managed to keep the left winger mostly under wraps.

In nine career games against San Jose, Forsberg only has one goal and two assists with a shooting percentage of 4.5. His points per game average (0.33) against the Sharks is the lowest among all NHL teams. The Los Angeles Kings are also historically tough on Forsberg, holding him to four points in 11 games (.364).

Drafted in the same year as Tomas Hertl, Forsberg has 99 goals and 105 assists in 275 career NHL games.

The Sharks will look to get Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun out there against the Forsberg line with Ryan Johansen and Kevin Fiala as much as possible.

“Try and limit his shots. He’s got an elite shot, so if you can get up on him and take that time away, that’s a big thing,” Braun said. “When he has time, he can pick his spot and score goals. So, play hard on those guys, don’t make it an easy night and obviously slow them down in the neutral zone.”

The Sharks have picked it up a notch with their team defense, allowing only 10 even strength goals in their last six games. The Sharks are 3-1 so far this season in one-goal games.

“Just have to be comfortable in those type of games,” Sharks defenseman Joakim Ryan said. “We want to be a team that’s good defensively and doesn’t give up much. Obviously goals are hard to come by in this league.”

2. Faceoff success.

It’s a small sample size, but through the first four weeks of the season, the Sharks are third in the NHL in faceoff win percentage at 53.2. Chris Tierney leads the Sharks at 63.5 percent, followed by Joe Thornton (58.9). Ryan Carpenter and Joe Pavelski are each at 52.9 percent.

The Sharks were 23rd in the NHL last season in faceoff win percentage at 48.1.

“I think we’ve dug in quite a bit. It’s been an emphasis for us,” DeBoer said. “I think the new rules have helped us. I think we were one of the teams that didn’t use a lot of the gimmicks they put the rules in to get out of — getting the foot involved, diving at people’s feet and that type of stuff. We didn’t get involved in that, a lot of times to our detriment over the last few years.”

The faceoff rule says “When the face-off takes place at any of the nine face-off spots, the players taking part shall take their position so that they will stand squarely facing their opponent’s end of the rink, and clear of the ice markings (where applicable).The sticks of both players facing-off shall have the blade on the ice, within the designated white area. At the eight face-off spots (excluding center ice face-off spot), the defending player shall place his stick within the designated white area first followed immediately by the attacking player.”

In other words, a bigger, perhaps stronger player can’t simply overpower others on draws, tying up sticks and using their skates to win the faceoff.

The new rule, or at least a greater emphasis on the old rule, has helped the 6-foot-1, 195 pound Tierney, who had a 48.5 faceoff percentage last season.

“Whenever you don’t have a big guy going in there and trying to out-muscle you and you can beat him with quickness and technique, it’s a bit easier for sure,” Tierney said. “A lot of it is bearing down and making sure you’re taking pride in every faceoff, even if it’s in the neutral zone, and stay in your rhythm.”

3. A crowded blue line.

The Sharks have seven healthy defensemen right now, and that number is about to grow to eight with Paul Martin getting closer to a return. Martin would need a least one or two full practices before he’s totally ready, and emphasized Tuesday that there isn’t an exact timetable.

Ryan and Tim Heed have certainly acquitted themselves well over the last three weeks. Ryan’s been a steady presence on the defense pair with Brent Burns and Heed, on the third pair with Brenden Dillon, is making a difference as a second defenseman on the No. 1 power play unit. Dylan DeMelo, again patiently awaiting a chance to play, has been effective whenever he’s dressed for a game.

It should make for an interesting few days and some tough decisions for the Sharks’ front office. It does not appear the Sharks would keep eight defensemen on their NHL roster and reduce their forward group to 13, although a definitive answer on that wasn’t happening Wednesday.

DeMelo would have to clear waivers to be sent down to the AHL. Ryan would not.

“That’s really out of my control. I’m just worried about my game,” Ryan said. “Want to try and keep playing well. That’s really all I can worry about. I can’t really think too much into that. It’s not in my hands at all.”